SUN. 5/1/05 (4:00pm; donation)
Sinner Sundays with:
The Hoyle Brothers
THE HOYLE BROTHERS phenomenon continues, with an additional Sunday engagement, one that in this case features 'Texas two-step' lessons, an hour of original HOYLE BROTHERS material, and than another hour of 'THE HOYLE BROTHERS presents', sixty minutes of country music classics that features special guests invited weekly to join them live on the floor. The boot-scootin' stomps on!

SUN. 5/1/05 (9:30pm; $10 advance, $12 door)
Mando Diao (Sweden) label: Mute
The Comas label: YepRoc
Danko Jones (Canada) label: Sound King, Universal
Quirky Swedish rock outfit MANDO DIAO make their Empty Bottle debut here, playing in support of new Mute release Hurricane Bar, a timeless offering that uses various mod, pop, R&B and soul elements to great affect. The much-talked about COMAS will play second, supporting Conductor, a new Yep Rock release that has earned them laudatory praise from both critics and fans alike, one that has furthermore prompted Spin Magazine to serendipitously anoint them a 'band to watch'. Hard rocking Canadians DANKO JONES will open, a group that espouse the sort of big electric sound so prevalent in seventies power rock.

MON. 5/2/05 (9:30pm; Free!)
Pedal Steel Transmission label: Cardboard Sangria
Disney & the Muslims with Jim Baker, Kyle Bruckmann, Michael Zerang
JG Everest label: Firetrunk related: Dosh, Fog, Lateduster, Neoptropic
Regarded locals PEDAL STEEL TRANSMISSION headline another of our popular 'free Monday' shows. The group use a confluence of elements in creating 'outsider rock' that is entirely their own - experimental, garage rock and psychedelic musics converge to create even musical templates out of seemingly disparate indices - and they're widely considered one of the city's better local ensembles. They'll be joined by free improvising trio DISNEY & THE MUSLIMS, a group that features JIM BAKER on electronics and keys, KYLE BRUCKMANN on oboe, and MICHAEL ZERANG on percussion. They describe their sound as 'electro / exotica dance music', and have recently finished work on a forthcoming release. Multi-instrumental singer songwriter JG EVERST has contributed to a wide variety of regarded musical entities, but has recently turned his focus inward with the completion of his recorded debut, Hush Money. EVERST will open here.

TUE. 5/3/05 (10:00pm; $12)
Roots Manuva (England) label: Big Dada
Airborn Audio label: Ninja Tune related: Anti-Pop Consortium
The Empty Bottle is extremely pleased to be presenting a show with British emcee and producer ROOTS MANUVA. MANUVA first came on the scene in the late nineties with a handful of releases - Brand New Second Hand, Run Come Save Me and it's companion Dub Come Save Me - that were warmly embraced by the international hip hop community for their deep, original beat structures and hazy, blown out rhymes. He's just dropped his latest, Awfully Deep, on Big Dada, an album that finds him in top, top form. ROOTS will be joined by post ANTI-POP project AIRBORN AUDIO. Possibly one of the most anticipated releases in underground hip-hop, HIGH PRIEST and M SAYYID return as AIRBORN AUDIO with the release of their devastating debut Good Fortune. It is an extension, of sorts, from their work on Arrhythmia, though Fortune is darker, doper and harder than previous CONSORTIUM offerings, a menacing masterwork of hip-hop abstraction. And as anyone that's seen them perform in the past can attest, these two straight bring it live, so this show portends to be one of the year's best.

WED. 5/4/05 (9:30pm; $5)
The Empty Bottle Jazz Series presents:
Who Cares How Long You Sink (record release) label: Lucky Kitchen
EKG (record release) with Kyle Bruckmann, Ernst Karel label: Locust, Sedimental
Relay Signals (record release) label: Lucky Kitchen
The Empty Bottle Jazz Series is pleased to present a special triple - yes, triple - record release program. Bassist JASON AJEMIAN leads his large scale ensemble WHO CARES HOW LONG YOU SINK, a group "devoted to the slower aesthetic of musical movement - sound as organic growth." The group features MATT BAUDER on tenor saxophone, STEWART BOGIE on clarinet, KYLE BRUCKMANN on oboe, TIM DAISY on marimba, ERNST KAREL on trumpet, JEFF PARKER on guitar, ARAM SHELTON on alto saxophone and DAN SYLVESTER on marimba. "EKG is the duo of KYLE BRUCKMANN and ERNST KAREL. Their music is situated between acoustic and electronic, improvised and premeditated, disruptive and meditative; it crackles and hums with precariously restrained potential energy. Combining traditional and extended wind techniques with anachronistic (non-digital) electronic processing, they carefully sculpt a bizarre yet organic soundworld of shifting tones, sudden and creeping textures, elusive suggestions of possible melody, and microscopic noise." RELAY SINGALS will open, a percussion-driven improvisational project from composer TIM DAISY.

THU. 5/5/05 (9:30pm; $15)
DJ Spooky label: Asphodel, Caipirinha, Knitting Factory, Outpost, Thirsty Ear
Modill label: EV Productions related: Thaione Davis
Oly related: The Fun, Gemma
We're pleased to be presenting a special concert performance with legendary electronic producer and turntablist DJ SPOOKY. A prominent member of the underground cultural community for nearly a decade now, SPOOKY has done much to reconceptualize what it is to be a 'deejay', all the while dissolving the various genre formulations of electronic and hip-hop musics. An avid collaborator, SPOOKY has worked with many of music's greatest talents - KEN ISHII, BILL LASWELL, WILLIAM PARKER, RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, MATTHEW SHIPP and THE WU-TANG CLAN, among others. For this, SPOOKY will be touring in support of his most recent collaborative endeavor, Drums of Death, an album conceived and written with SLAYER (yes, SLAYER) drummer DAVE LOMBARDO that also features CHUCK D, MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO and VERNON REID. Electronically-flavored hip-hop ensemble MODILL will play second, a group that features regarded emcees THAIONE DAVIS and RACECAR, buoyed by the able support of producer K-KRUZ. Lo-fi, four-track experimentalist OLY will open, playing melodic electronics with keyboard-driven loops and layered harmonies.

THU. 5/5/05 (9:30pm; $15)
(@ the Logan Square Auditorium - 2539 N Kedzie - ALL AGES)
Electric Six label: Warner Bros., XL Recordings
VHS or Beta label: Astralwerks, On!
The Empty Bottle is pleased to welcome Detroit-based sextet THE ELECTRIC SIX to the all ages Logan Square Auditorium, a co-headlining performance with dancerock outfit VHS OR BETA. THE SIX incorporate a wide range of hard-driving elements - disco, garage, metal and punk - to create bombastic, cheeky anthems that are instantly memorable. They'll be playing in support of their new Warner release, Señor Smoke. Discopunkers VHS OR BETA return after a rousing Chicago appearance last fall, supporting new Astralwerks release Night on Fire. The group issued their debut, Le Funk, on their own On! Records imprint, an album that was well received in underground circles upon its release. Their clever blending of dance, disco and funk musics makes like a full on houseparty on record, but VHS are no joke live so one can expect that they'll likely try to tear the roof off the place.

FRI. 5/6/05 (5:30pm; donation)
Hard Country Honky-Tonk:
The Hoyle Brothers
The HOYLES consider themselves the 'real thing' and use traditional instrumentation to play Texas shuffle, rave-up and honky-tonk music from country's 'true' musical legends, for those of you who long for and recall the days when 'country was country'.

FRI. 5/6/05 (10:00pm; $10 advance, $12 door)
Mice Parade label: Bubblecore, Fat Cat
Boom Bip label: Leaf, Lex, Mush
Squirm label: Fussy related: Disarray, Drowsy Birds
Electronic post rock ensemble MICE PARADE return, playing in support of a brand new release, Bem-Vinda Vontade. The group is something to behold live, large-scale groupings that include improvised overdubs, live instrumentation and nuanced, sophisticated percussion. Acclaimed beat boxer and producer BOOM BIP will play second and is supporting a new record, Lex release Blue Eyed in the Red Room. An accomplished composer and performer, BIP has done additional work with the regarded Leaf and Mush imprints, and is responsible for the latter's wildly successful Doo Doo Breaks series. SQUIRM is a new solo endeavor from former DISARRAY and DROSWY BIRDS member BRANDON NELSON, an engaging assemblage of found sounds, loops and other musical ephemera.

SAT. 5/7/05 (10:00pm; $12)
Adult. label: Ersatz Audio, Thrill Jockey
Gold Chains & Sue Cie label: Kill Rock Stars, Pias America, Tigerbeat6
Genders
Austere electro duo ADULT. return, after a performance absence of nearly two years. The group are back with a new EP of material, D.U.M.E., their first for the local Thrill Jockey imprint. The basic elements are still there - hypnotic, stark vocals laid atop cool, tight beat structures - though in each case the two have seemingly taken things to another level entirely. Hip hop hooligan GOLD CHAINS will play second. CHAINS will be performing alongside sometime collaborator SUE CIE, focusing on material from their latest endeavor, When the World Was Our Friend, issued on the Kill Rock Stars imprint late last year. New comers GENDERS will open.

SUN. 5/8/05 (4:00pm; donation)
Sinner Sundays with:
The Hoyle Brothers
THE HOYLE BROTHERS phenomenon continues, with an additional Sunday engagement, one that in this case features 'Texas two-step' lessons, an hour of original HOYLE BROTHERS material, and than another hour of 'THE HOYLE BROTHERS presents', sixty minutes of country music classics that features special guests invited weekly to join them live on the floor. The boot-scootin' stomps on!

SUN. 5/8/05 (9:30pm; $8 advance, $10 door)
The Sun label: Reprise, Rough Trade
Rolling Blackouts label: Record Collection
Charming Snakes label: Dirtnap
Atypical garage rockers THE SUN return. The group have two well received EPs to their credit - Love & Death and Did Your Mother Tell You?, respectively - releases that have critics and fans alike clamoring for a full length. Cocksure rock outfit ROLLING BLACKOUTS will play second, a big sounding group that are seemingly single-handedly trying to quash all notions that rock is 'dead'. Uptempo garage punks THE CHARMING SNAKES will open, a Seattle-based group playing in support of new Dirtnap full length Ammunition.

MON. 5/9/05 (10:00pm; $12)
The Books label: Tomlab
Tim Rutili label: Perishable, Sub Pop, Thrill Jockey related: Califone, Red Red Meat
The Empty Bottle is pleased to welcome critical darlings THE BOOKS, a group making their Chicago and touring debut. Over the course of three full lengths – Thought for Food, The Lemon of Pink and Lost & Safe - their subtle compositional pastiches have won them near universal acclaim. Their latest, Lost & Safe, is a departure of sorts, as it incorporates understated vocal narratives to their collage-based production aesthetic. Live shows have been years in the waiting and the BOOKS - fully aware of this – are promising something spectacular. CALIFONE frontman TIM RUITILI will open with a rare solo set of material.

TUE. 5/10/05 (9:30pm; $7)
Copper Press presents:
Taking Pictures label: My Pal God related: Hurl, Milemarker
Balloons (Japan) label: Stiff Slack
A Northern Chorus (Canada) label: BlackMountain, Sonic Unyon
Join us for a special Copper Press showcase, one that features rock trio TAKING PICTURES, Japanese math rock group BALLOONS and melancholic Canadian guitar pop outfit A NORTHERN CHORUS. Copper Press is a music-based zine that covers the various sub genres of independent and underground rock, and are actively involved in the propagation of the music they cover. Oh, and the first fifty people to purchase tickets will receive a free subscription to the magazine.

WED. 5/11/05 (9:30pm; $6)
The Empty Bottle Jazz Series presents:
Phantom Limb & Bison label: Evolving Ear
Uncle Woody Sullender and Kevin Davis Duo label: Dead CEO related: Lightbox Orchestra, James Falzone's Allos Consort, Nick Broste Quintet
“PHANTOM LIMB & BISON, with it's origins in the United States, is presenting a composition from the song cycle, ‘when standing by itself, BISON, means.’ This cycle has been described as fitting entirely within the grid of all social and cultural norms. ‘...there is nothing out of the ordinary about this music whatsoever, but...’ The execution of this work is handled by former Chicago resident CHRIS HEENAN on contrabass clarinet and alto saxophone, guitarist CHRIS FORSYTH, JAIME FENNELLY on electronics, and SHAWN HANSEN on EMS Synth and radio feedback.” Improviser and experimental banjo player UNCLE WOODY SULLENDER will open, playing in support of his latest endeavor, Nothing is Certain but Death. The Wire has applauded SULLENDER’S “concise solo improvising”, approving of his “hard-plucked and uninhibited” playing style. SULLENDER will be joined by local cellist KEVIN DAVIS, and this performance will be the duo's Empty Bottle debut.

THU. 5/12/05 (10:00pm; $12 advance, $15 door)
Prefuse 73 label: Warp related: LA Correction, Piano Overload, Savath & Savalas
Battles label: Dim Mak, Monitor related: Don Caballero, Helmet, Lynx, Tomahawk
Beans label: Warp related: Anti-Pop Consortium
The first of two shows with regarded experimental hip-hop producer PREFUSE 73, who will be supporting the release of his latest offering, Surrounded By Silence. As with previous releases, Silence features the deft production skills of PREFUSE progenitor SCOTT HERRON, coupled with contributions from an eclectic array of tastemaking underground talents, in this case featuring the likes of AESOP ROCK, BEANS, THE BOOKS, TYONDAI BRAXTON, GHOSTFACE and more. BATTLES will play second, a newly formed supergroup that features avant garde composer TYONDAI BRAXTON, former LNYX member DAVID KONOPKA, TOMAHAWK drummer JOHN STANIER and former DON CABALLERO frontman IAN WILLIAMS. They’ve recently issued their second release, EP B. Former ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM emcee and producer BEANS will open, playing material from recent Warp longplayer Shock City Maverick.

THU. 5/12/05 (9:00pm; $10)
(@ open-end - 2000 W Fulton - ALL AGES)
Deerhoof label: 5rc, Dual, Kill Rock Stars, Menlo Park
Nedelle label: Kill Rock Stars, Wicked Awesome
Considering the earnest revisionism in today’s rock marketplace, it is nice to see an adventurous bunch of garage punks muck things up a bit with artful tastefulness and pure originality. Long a respected outfit of those in the know, DEERHOOF are poised to go 'overground' with recent KRS release Milk Man, an album that supersedes even their own past efforts, which are quite spectacular in their own right. We’re pleased to be presenting the group at the all ages open-end artspace. (As with past open-end shows, tickets will be limited, so we encourage interested parties to secure tickets well in advance.) Vocalist and new Kill Rock Star signing NEDELLE will open, a melodic composer and performer that moves between various genres with relative ease. Her latest offering, From the Lion’s Mouth is a richly orchestrated affair, notable for its lush arrangements and endearing sensibility.

FRI. 5/13/05 (5:30pm; donation)
Hard Country Honky-Tonk with:
The Hoyle Brothers
The HOYLES consider themselves the 'real thing' and use traditional instrumentation to play Texas shuffle, rave-up and honky-tonk music from country's 'true' musical legends, for those of you who long for and recall the days when 'country was country'.

FRI. 5/13/05 (10:00pm; $12 advance, $15 door)
Prefuse 73 label: Warp related: LA Correction, Piano Overload, Savath & Savalas
Battles label: Dim Mak, Monitor related: Don Caballero, Helmet, Lynx, Tomahawk
Beans label: Warp related: Anti-Pop Consortium
The second of two shows with regarded experimental hip-hop producer PREFUSE 73, who will be supporting the release of his latest offering, Surrounded By Silence. As with previous releases, Silence features the deft production skills of PREFUSE progenitor SCOTT HERRON, coupled with an eclectic array of tastemaking underground talents, in this case featuring the likes of AESOP ROCK, BEANS, THE BOOKS, TYONDAI BRAXTON, GHOSTFACE and more. BATTLES will play second, a newly formed supergroup that features avant garde composer TYONDAI BRAXTON, former LNYX member DAVID KONOPKA, TOMAHAWK drummer JOHN STANIER and former DON CABALLERO frontman IAN WILLIAMS. They've recently issued their second release, EP B. Former ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM emcee and producer BEANS will open, playing material from recent Warp longplayer Shock City Maverick.

FRI. 5/13/05 (8:30pm; $12)
(@ the Logan Square Auditorium - 2539 N Kedzie - ALL AGES)
Mountain Goats (record release) label: 3 Beads of Sweat, 4AD, Absolutely Kosher, Ajax, Emperor Jones, Shrimper, Yo Yo
Shearwater label: Misra
Jeff Hanson label: Kill Rock Stars
The Empty Bottle is pleased to be presenting the MOUNTAIN GOATS in the all ages Logan Square Auditorium space. Over the course of a now decade long career, GOATS frontman JOHN DARNIELLE has issued countless releases on a variety of imprints, work that has earned him a sizable and devoted following. In recent years, DARNIELLE has moved away from the stark minimalism of his earliest works, and his efforts for the 4AD imprint have been expansive, lushly orchestrated affairs. For this show, the MOUNTAIN GOATS will perform as a large-scale ensemble, a rare, rare event indeed. Originally conceived as a one-off collaboration between OKKERVIL RIVER members WILL SHEFF and JONATHAN MEIBURG, SHEARWATER was intended to be a one- time songwriting vehicle for the two. However, they were so pleased with the results they decided that SHEARWATER would be an ongoing concern and have since released three albums worth of material, the latest of which, Thieves, was issued by Misra earlier this year. Singer songwriter JEFF HANSON will open, supporting a new self-titled release for the Kill Rock Stars imprint.

SAT. 5/14/05 (10:00pm; $10)
Unsane label: Amphetamine Reptile, Atlantic, Man's Ruin, Matador, Relapse
The Blackfire Revelation label: Fat Possum
Volcano!
Revered noisecore ensemble UNSANE are back, after a brief disbanding several years ago. The group, formed in the early nineties, were a formidable presence for the better part of a decade, releasing influential albums that defined for an era the able blending of metal, punk and noise musics. UNSANE have reestablished their relationship with the tastemaking Relapse imprint, and have just issued a new full length, Blood Run. The BLACKFIRE REVELATION will play second, a huge, huge sounding ensemble that themselves explore a sonic terrain similar to that of UNSANE. Their latest, Gold and Guns on 51, is impossibly loud and they're purportedly the shit live. Promising new locals VOLCANO! will open, an earnest band of sonic deconstructionists that are quickly becoming a citywide favorite.

SUN. 5/15/05 (4:00pm; donation)
Sinner Sundays with:
The Hoyle Brothers
THE HOYLE BROTHERS phenomenon continues, with an additional Sunday engagement, one that in this case features 'Texas two-step' lessons, an hour of original HOYLE BROTHERS material, and than another hour of 'THE HOYLE BROTHERS presents', sixty minutes of country music classics that features special guests invited weekly to join them live on the floor. The boot-scootin' stomps on!

SUN. 5/15/05 (8:00pm; $10)
Deerhoof label: 5rc, Dual, Kill Rock Stars, Menlo Park
On Fillmore with Darin Gray, Glenn Kotche label: Quakebasket, Locust related: Brise Glace, Dazzling Killmen, Grand Ulena, Wilco
Sicbay label: 54°40' or Fight!, Obtuse Mule related: Colossomite, Dazzling Killmen
Nedelle label: Kill Rock Stars, Wicked Awesome
The second of two Chicago shows with beloved artrock ensemble DEERHOOF, this large scale performance program will feature additional performances from outstanding experimental duo ON FILLMORE, chaotic underground noiserockers SICBAY, and an opening performance from melodic singer songwriter NEDELLE.

MON. 5/16/05 (9:30pm; Free!)
Tight Phantomz label: Southern
Bible of the Devil label: Raw Deth, Genuflect, Dead Teenager
Call Me Lightning label: Force Again, NFS, Revelation, WLUM
tornavalanche label: Southern related: Forstella Ford, Ten Grand
Continuing in a month of unbelievable free shows, this particular outing will serve as a record release party for local hard rockers TIGHT PHANTOMZ, who will be celebrating the release of new Southern full length Crazy When Wet. For this, they've assembled a spectacular program, one that features burning heavies BIBLE OF THE DEVIL, spastics CALL ME LIGHTNING, and intensely appointed new comers TORNAVALANCHE.

TUE. 5/17/05 (9:30pm; $3)
The Chicago Improvisers Series presents:
The Jason Stein Group with Anton Hatwich, Frank Rosaly, Jason Stein

WED. 5/18/05 (7:00pm; Free!)
A free evening of improvised music featuring:
JC and the Process

WED. 5/18/05 (10:30pm; $5)
The Empty Bottle Jazz Series presents:
Rolldown with Jason Adasiewicz, Josh Berman, Keefe Jackson, Jason Roebke, Frank Rosaly

THU. 5/19/05 (8:00pm; $15)
Horizontal Action presents The Chicago Blackout 2005 featuring:
The Fevers label: Alien Snatch
Kajun SS label: Theraputic related: The Persuaders
Human Eye label: In The Red related: Clone Defects
Shop Fronts related: Primate 5, Zodiac Killers
Busy Signals related: Carbonas, Krunchies, Tyrades
The Empty Bottle is pleased to be playing host to our second Horizontal Action Blackout! festival, a three day celebration of debauched temporality that need be seen to be believed. Fucking nuts, we're telling you! "Headlining in support of their anxiously awaited second LP, Love Always Wins, on Alien Snatch, THE FEVERS are sure to put the bubble in your hankering for pop swoonings. KAJUN SS, with releases on Die Slaughterhaus, Shattered, Therapeutic/Jeth-Row, is the latest offering from Louisiana madman KING LOUIE. The KING and JASON CRAFT from the late PERSUADERS are together again to make dog shit of your eardrums with their manic Creole voodoo blasting. Everyone knows Detroit's TIMMY VULGAR of the CLONE DEFECTS is a weird alien freak, and with his newest project HUMAN EYE, your mind will unravel like a stupid ball of yarn into a heap of futuristic noise. Their debut LP on In The Red is a scorcher! THE SHOP FRONTS (ex of ZODIAC KILLERS, F-HOLES) will be making their debut Midwest appearance. These NYC scratchers' bratty bust-out will send you into a mind-crapping ass seizure dance fo' sure! The BUSY SIGNALS, featuring members of the TYRADES, CARBONAS and THE KRUNCHIES, are newer than that zit on your chin. Their poppish plunkers sizzle like beer on a hot plate!"

THU. 5/19/05 (8:30pm; $12 advance, $14 door)
(@ the Logan Square Auditorium - 2539 N Kedzie - ALL AGES)
British Sea Power (England) label: Rough Trade
Feist (Canada) label: Arts & Crafts, Bobby Dazzler, Interscope related: Apostle of Hustle, Broken Social Scene, By Divine Right
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
We're pleased to welcome the return of BRITISH SEA POWER, on the heels of one of the most-talked about performances of the year here last March. The English quartet began receiving notice from the start for their conceptually engaging live performances, and renowned imprint Rough Trade quickly signed on thereafter. Their debut, longplayer The Decline of British Sea Power was an international smash, an album that has caused NME to enthuse, "Out of place, out of time, and quite possibly out of their minds - but given time to explore the depths of this record, they're also often out of this world." The new follow-up, Open Season, is no less spectacular and finds them writing material that is more refined, understated and perhaps more thoroughly engrossing. APOSTLE OF HUSTLE and BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE singer FEIST will also perform, playing material from new Arts & Crafts full length Let it Die. Die is an engrossing effort, one that incorporates a wide variety of elements that give the album a weighty assuredness and intimacy. Beloved locals THE SCOTLAND YARD GOSPEL CHOIR will open.

FRI. 5/20/05 (8:00pm; $15)
Horizontal Action presents The Chicago Blackout 2005 featuring:
Reigning Sound label: In The Red related: Compulsive Gamblers, Oblivians
Gris Gris label: Birdman
Final Solutions label: Misprint, Shit Sandwich related: Lost Sounds, Reatards
The Blank-Its label: Band-It, Contaminated
MOTO label: Criminal IQ, Shit Sandwich
The Empty Bottle is pleased to be playing host to our second Horizontal Action Blackout! festival, a three day celebration of debauched temporality that need be seen to be believed. Fucking nuts, we're telling you! "GREG OBLIVIAN'S REIGNING SOUND swing some soulful hummers! Coming off their Too Much Guitar LP on In The Red, they're as infectious and exciting as a blistered lip! GRIS GRIS, on Birdman, is like being lost in a milky haze of swirling smoke. GREG ASHLEY writes songs out on black carnival mirrors and seals them away with a kaleidoscope teardrop. THE FINAL SOLUTIONS' jerky tech-slap is as fun as a shock to the brain. Like drunken marching robots, they'll surge your cerebellum into sad piece of toast with a bare wire. Seattle's BLANK ITS' broken fuzz is as catchy and weird as they come. With their own self-released single and a split 7" on Contaminated records, their debut Chicago show is long awaited. Their blown-out sound will have you grabbing for the drier sheets in no time. If you're not in to MOTO you're a total nerd! With more releases than the state mental hospital, they're as prolific as ever, and a Chicago staple."

SAT. 5/21/05 (8:00pm; $15)
Horizontal Action presents The Chicago Blackout 2005 featuring:
The Pagans label: Crypt, Treehouse
Bad Times label: Goner related: Oblivians, The Persuaders, Reatards, Royal Pendeltons
The Fatals label: Yakisakana, P-Trash
River City Tanlines label: Misprint related: Lost Sounds
VEE DEE label: Criminal IQ related: The Brides
The Empty Bottle is pleased to be playing host to our second Horizontal Action Blackout! festival, a three day celebration of debauched temporality that need be seen to be believed. Fucking nuts, we're telling you! "THE PAGANS! Yes, finally us punk come-latelys will get to see this legendary Cleveland band. (Pinch yourself! You're not dreaming asshole, this is real!) They truly are the missing monkey from the early seventies STONES brand of dirty R'N'R to the late seventies punk nut dip, and the coolest to come out of it. The Memphis supergroup BAD TIMES - featuring members of the OBLIVIANS, LOST SOUNDS, REATARDS, THE PERSUADERS and ROYAL PENDELTONS - lay down the scuzz knee-deep. All the way from France come THE FATALS, with their blown-out and bleached raw rock'n roll, for their first appearance in the US! Grab the lotion! THE RIVER CITY TANLINES' (featuring ALICJA from the LOST SOUNDS) debut Chicago appearance will put the blisters on your shoulders and the stinkbait in your jib! And to get the night started, we've got a psychotic case of Chicago's homebrewed VEEDEE to kick things off!"

SAT. 5/21/05 (9:30pm; $20)
(@ the Logan Square Auditorium - 2539 N Kedzie - ALL AGES)
Boredoms (Japan) label: Avant, Birdman, Reprise, Shimmy-Disc, WEA International
Soft Circle related: Black Dice
The BOREDOMS are most certainly one of the world's most popular experimental ensembles, and over the course of their fifteen-plus year career have released some of the most adventurous music laid to tape. With a revolving cast of characters and labels (with many of the latter being unlikely pairings), the BOREDOMS have managed to move forward with their creativity unchecked, and have in the meantime earned themselves an international fanbase that is fervently devoted and supportive. This special Logan Square Auditorium engagement is but one of only five US shows, and shouldn't be missed. SOFT CIRCLE will open, a new project from former BLACK DICE member HISHAM BHAROOCHA.

SUN. 5/22/05 (4:00pm; donation)
Sinner Sundays:
The Hoyle Brothers
THE HOYLE BROTHERS phenomenon continues, with an additional Sunday engagement, one that in this case features 'Texas two-step' lessons, an hour of original HOYLE BROTHERS material, and than another hour of 'THE HOYLE BROTHERS presents', sixty minutes of country music classics that features special guests invited weekly to join them live on the floor. The boot-scootin' stomps on!

SUN. 5/22/05 (9:30pm; $8)
The Robot Ate Me label: 5rc, Kill Rock Stars
All City Affairs
Walkie Talkies
Dissonant, experimental pop ensemble THE ROBOT ATE ME make their Empty Bottle debut here. One of underground music's overlooked gems, the group came to being with the release of their compelling debut, They Ate Themselves, and have since released two fine, fine albums (one being a reissue) of material on the 5 Rue Christine imprint. Openers to be announced shortly...

MON. 5/23/05 (9:30pm; Free!)
Pinebender label: Lovitt, Ohio Gold related: By Lightning to the Womb
Catfish Haven
Sybris label: Flameshovel
Another smash hit in a series of big Free Monday shows in May, this unbelievable outing features tempered rock outfit PINEBENDER, playing alongside acoustic-based rock ensemble CATFISH HAVEN and new Flameshovel signings SYBRIS. One can expect that this show will sell out, so we encourage those of you interested in attending to come early.

TUE. 5/24/05 (9:30pm; $8)
Mainliners (Sweden) label: Crusher, Get Hip related: The Boys
The Tax related: Chisel, The Insect, Perfect Panther
Last Vegas label: Get Hip, Scarey
Super 88 label: Folk Metal Records
We're pleased to welcome Swedish rock and roll outfit THE MAINLINERS for their Empty Bottle debut. The group has released two popular singles in Scandinavia, and have recently issued their first full length, Bring on the Sweetlife, for domestic favorite Get Hip. They'll be joined by modish rockers THE TAX, hard rocking locals and labelmates THE LAST VEGAS, and bluesy rock group SUPER 88.

WED. 5/25/05 (9:30pm; $6)
The Empty Bottle Jazz Series presents a tribute to the Tristano School featuring
The Ted Sirota Quintet with Geof Bradfield, Hyosub Kim, Dave Miller, Greg Ward
The Empty Bottle Jazz Series is pleased to welcome the return of drummer and composer TED SIROTA. SIROTA will be leading a quintet that includes tenor saxophonist GEOF BRADFIELD, bassist HYOSUB KIM, guitarist DAVE MILLER and alto saxophonist GREG WARD. The program will celebrate the music of Chicago-based pianist LENNIE TRISTANO, a prominent figure in the late forties, early fifties jazz community that has, criminally, yet to receive his critical due.

THU. 5/26/05 (9:30pm; $8)
Heartless Bastards label: Fat Possum
Locked Sound
Big Whiskey label: Rose Red
Ohio-based trio HEARTLESS BASTARDS have recently released their debut, Stairs and Elevators, for the Fat Possum imprint. Focused and straightforward, the album is a rousing testament to the immediacy and power of no-frills rock and roll done well, and the group should find themselves enjoying a wider audience as the album takes hold. Additional acts to be announced shortly...

FRI. 5/27/05 (5:30pm; donation)
Hard Country Honky-Tonk with:
The Hoyle Brothers
The HOYLES consider themselves the 'real thing' and use traditional instrumentation to play Texas shuffle, rave-up and honky-tonk music from country's 'true' musical legends, for those of you who long for and recall the days when 'country was country'.

FRI. 5/27/05 (10:00pm; $8)
Archaeology
Bound Stems related: Harvey Danger, Imperial China
Van Allen Belt
Locals ARCHAEOLOGY pair some of the more prominent rudiments of big sounding independent rock with ambient soundscapes, giving them a distinctiveness and elemental freshness that few of their peers can match. They have a self-titled debut to their credit, and are apparently at work on some newer material. Strong new locals BOUND STEMS will also perform, playing in support of surprisingly strong EP Levity, an album Splendid says benefits from "a nervous Chicago angst", with "anxious, beat-inflected vocals and lyrics helping to form a troubled expression of urban desperation and existential moodiness." Stuttering rock outfit VAN ALLEN BELT will open.

FRI. 5/27/05 (7:00pm; $10)
(@ the OpenEnd Gallery - 2000 W Fulton - ALL AGES) dublab, the Empty Bottle and the OpenEnd Gallery present Up Our Sleeve featuring:
DJ Frosty
DJ Hoseh
The Empty Bottle, in conjunction with dublab, are pleased to present the Up Our Sleeve art exhibition at the open-end space. An ongoing concern, Up Our Sleeve is a full-on installation piece that features five to six hundred original record sleeves designed and / or painted by some of the world's finest underground artists. (See www.upoursleeve.org for a comprehensive listings of participants.) Conceived as a response to the ever-shrinking sleeve sizes offered by contemporary technologies, these one-of-a kind works will be displayed en masse throughout the gallery. This particular outing will be the opening proper, and will feature a pairing of dublab, FROSTY and HOSEH will deejay throughout, alongside special guest 'pop in' sets from the Biz 3, Chocolate Industries, Kranky, Struggle Inc and Thrill Jockey crews.

SAT. 5/28/05 (10:00pm; 8$)
Proswell label: Eerik Inpuj Sound, One, Merck, Monotonik
Kim Hiorthøy (Norway) label: P-Vine, Smalltown Supersound
Mark Denardo related: OMAC
Tobias
Join us for an evening of experimental electronic music. Join us for an evening of experimental electronic music. Respected producer PROSWELL headlines. PROSWELL has a handful of releases on several respected electronic music imprints, the latest of which, Merck Mix 4, is a megamix of new material celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Merck Records imprint. He'll be joined by Norwegian artist and electronic producer KIM HIORTHØY. It's been a prolific period for HIORTHØY, who as a designer has been the subject of two recent feature publications, Katalog and Money Will Ruin Everything. Musically, the last several months have been equally creative, as HIORTHØY has released three new releases - For the Ladies, Hopeness and Live Shet, all of which, as usual, are mind numbingly good. MARK DENARDO will open, a musician that sequences with a GameBoy, plays guitar and sings, composing songs about “robots partying and video game characters falling in love.”

SUN. 5/29/05 (4:00pm; $8 advance, $10 door)
Sinner Sundays featuring:
Jim & Jennie and The Pinetops (record release) label: Bloodshot, Overcoat Recordings, Phovsho
The Hoyle Brothers
Sinner Sundays with THE HOYLE BROTHERS continue, though this occasion marks the first in a series of events that pair THE HOYLES with prominent national and regional acts. This first outing will feature JIM & JENNIE AND THE PINETOPS, who will be celebrating the release of new Bloodshot album Rivers Roll on By. Rousing live performers, the group take their cues from the bluegrass and traditional country music of decades past, coupling their sound with a rollicking and rowdy sense of humor and fun. Local favorites THE HOYLE BROTHERS will open, offering their own take on honky-tonk and traditional country. Please note the shows early start time

SUN. 5/29/05 (9:30pm; $10)
Fucking Champs label: Drag City
Zombi label: Relapse
Boyjazz label: Frenetic
After an absence of something like three years, THE FUCKING CHAMPS return. Proudly, resoundingly considered a full on 'heavy metal' trio, the group rarely play live, and seem to record even less. They've got two albums to their credit - IV and V, respectively - each issued by the local Drag City imprint. Recent Chicago transplants ZOMBI will play second, and will be supporting their Relapse debut Cosmos. The group compose dark ambient soundscapes using drums and synthesizer, reverent odes to the horror movie soundtracks of decades past. Oh, and they straight kill it live. Anthemic cock rockers BOYJAZZ will open.

SUN. 5/29/05 (9:30pm; $8)
(@ Subterranean - 2011 W North)
Sightings label: Load
The Coughs label: Load, Mythologie
Goldblood label: Galactic Zoo Disk related: Plastic Crimewave Sound
The Empty Bottle is pleased to welcome NYC trio SIGHTINGS to the Subterranean. Resoundingly deconstructionist, the group work furiously through a host of elemental reference points, creating brutal and tense sonic barrages that are perfunctorily dispatched with relative ease. They’ve issued two full lengths for Load, Sightings and Absolutes, both confrontational and visceral attacks on the senses. Freewheeling local noisemongers THE COUGHS will play second, supporting their own Load full length, Fright Makes Right. A vigorous effort, Fright should earn the group a wider audience in underground noise circles. Opener to be announced...

MON. 5/30/05 (9:30pm; Free!)
Jason Talbot (record release) label: Gameboy, RRR, Crippled Intellect Productions, Kissy
Bloodyminded label: Bloodlust, Chondritic
Vertonen (record release) label: Chondritic, Crippled Intellect Productions, Ground Fault, Scratch and Sniff
Insectdeli
Another of our 'free Monday' shows, we're pleased to present a program of extreme experimental music featuring avant turntablist JASON TALBOT, power electronics ensemble BLOODYMINDED, damaged lurch and drone outfit VERTONEN and digitial deconstructionist INSECTDELI. Our free Monday shows have become one of our biggest and most popular offerings, and it's programs like this one that are bringing the people out.

TUE. 5/31/05 (9:30pm; $3)
The Jason Stein Group with Jason Ajemian, Frank Rosaly, Jason Stein
The Chicago Improvisers Series is pleased to welcome THE JASON STEIN GROUP. Talented reedist STEIN will be fronting a group that features bassist JASON AJEMIAN and drummer FRANK ROSALY. This marks the second of two CIS performances here in May.